Microsoft Defends Surface Pro Storage, Short Battery Life

[zakislam]

128 GB model offers 83 GB of storage, while battery life is said to be below 4 hours.

Microsoft Defends Surface Pro Storage, Short Battery Life : Read more

 

[Murissokah]

Translation: Our product does not have much storage left for the user because we believe we understand our customers' needs better than they do, so we pack it with every software ever made by Microsoft.

It's just amazing how Microsoft excels at making unpopular choices on their products. Limiting customer choice is a capital sin in competitive markets, and they should start getting used to competition.

 

[Guest]

Wait until they start getting the patch Tuesday updates. It will eat up even more storage

 

[cburke82]

What extra software does it come with and can it be deleted if we dont need it? If i can I dont care because I can free up the space if it cant thats an issue.

 

[PMentior]

[citation][nom]Murissokah[/nom]Translation: Our product does not have much storage left for the user because we believe we understand our customers' needs better than they do, so we pack it with every software ever made by Microsoft.It's just amazing how Microsoft excels at making unpopular choices on their products. Limiting customer choice is a capital sin in competitive markets, and they should start getting used to competition.[/citation]

But you still have a choice. The Windows 8 restore utility lets you move the restore partition to a usb drive and then delete it. That frees up 8GB or so i believe. The only other preinstalled microsoft software that I have heard mentioned is Office 2013. If you don't want it you can remove it and there is another couple of gigs. That leaves about 25GB of used space which is about right for a Full desktop Windows install.

Here is the math I used:

118GB (disk space after formating)
- 8GB for Recovery partition
- 2GB estimate for Office 2013 preinstall
- 25GB Windows Install
- 83GB free space


Remember that this isn't some tablet OS with limited functionality. You get a full desktop OS that can do anything a regular laptop with similar specs can do.

 

[Guest]

There is, always, The Cloud.

 

[kawininjazx]

Microsoft's response "Buy a flash drive you big baby."

 

[-Fran-]

[citation][nom]cburke82[/nom]What extra software does it come with and can it be deleted if we dont need it? If i can I dont care because I can free up the space if it cant thats an issue.[/citation]

Problem is that MS is still charging you (pretty much) for every single piece of UNWANTED software in their tablet/thing.

Also, 1K for an underperforming tablet/notebook? It doesn't have diamonds as buttons, right?

Cheers!

 

[Guest]

Thanks Microsoft! I needed a laugh today.

 

[tokencode]

Once again I think Microsoft underestimates the stupidity of the general population when it comes to electronics. It looks like a tablet, therefore people compare batterylife etc to a tablet of similar size rather than realizing the huge functionality differences between the 2. This is a very small form factor ultrabook, not a tablet. Microsoft hasn't done a good job in communicating that to the general population. I think most people think of this as an expensive iPad with less battery life when in reality this makes the iPad look like a children's toy.

 

[hate machine]

[citation][nom]Yuka[/nom]Problem is that MS is still charging you (pretty much) for every single piece of UNWANTED software in their tablet/thing.Also, 1K for an underperforming tablet/notebook? It doesn't have diamonds as buttons, right?Cheers![/citation]

How is it under performing again? How exactly are the internals considered "not up to the task" and how is it unusable as a tablet?

 

[therogerwilco]

Hey Apple, ever heard of a usb port?

 

[Guest]

@Murissokah
usb 3.0 and microsd in a tablet form factor? compared to the ipad that seems pretty flexible to me....

 

[homiedontrightclick]

This is what happens when you have a tablet that wants to be a computer.

 

[blakbird24]

Microsoft simply needs to lure someone from Apple's marketing department. If this were Apple, they'd be praised for "providing everything a user needs from the start". Microsoft simply doesn't know how to spin things like this.

 

[Guest]

It may not have much for battery time, but given one of the major target audiences (corporate types), 4hrs is fine as you are seldom in meetings longer than that doing anything that would drain a battery that quickly. I know several corporations looking at tablets for certain internal and external job roles, but would never be able to make the necessary sacrifices to integrate iPads or Android tablets which can't run their existing (and often custom) Windows apps. To be honest, I see the Surface RT as a consumer product and the Surface Pro as a business platform. I see the Surface Pro being successful in the business landscape, less so in the more price conscious consumer market. Different products, different target audiences.

 

[boiler1990]

[citation][nom]tokencode[/nom]Once again I think Microsoft underestimates the stupidity of the general population when it comes to electronics. It looks like a tablet, therefore people compare batterylife etc to a tablet of similar size rather than realizing the huge functionality differences between the 2. This is a very small form factor ultrabook, not a tablet. Microsoft hasn't done a good job in communicating that to the general population. I think most people think of this as an expensive iPad with less battery life when in reality this makes the iPad look like a children's toy.[/citation]

I'm still surprised that they couldn't fit a better battery in there. There are many ultrabooks out there that can hit 5 hours. I understand the hardware is a little more constrained what with the active digitizer for the stylus and whatnot, but it still seems a bit odd to me that you can have two similarly-sized devices with the same hardware, and one will last 50% longer than the other.

 

[Guest]

I love how people act like with any other tablet they have access to the full advertised space shipped with. I bought an Android tablet that was advertised as an 8GB model (with sd card expandability) and only had access to like 3GB of storage space.

 

[Camikazi]

[citation][nom]Yuka[/nom]Problem is that MS is still charging you (pretty much) for every single piece of UNWANTED software in their tablet/thing.Also, 1K for an underperforming tablet/notebook? It doesn't have diamonds as buttons, right?Cheers![/citation]
*cough* 1k for 128GB iPad with limited tablet OS *cough*
I'd take the Surface Pro any day.

 

[Ro0ster]

I dont think this is necessarily MS's problem, but maybe its ours as a consumer? That we demand smaller, more mobile tech that performs as robustly as any full blown laptop/desktop. I think we're kidding ourselves to believe a tablet will replace the full functionality of a workstation solution. To continue trying to only produce more misunderstandings as to what the product actually brings to the table when compared to other tech (iPad) that looks the same but is completely different.

 

[velocityg4]

For one thing the they could get rid of the WinSXS folder. It takes up huge amounts of space and XP worked fine without it. At the very least they could have the system clean out old versions of components and those that are of no use. Such as if you don't have IIS installed.

Also they shouldn't have the restore image on there. With modern firmware capabilities. There is no reason why this tablet should not be able to boot by network to MS servers for a reinstall of Windows and personal servers for people without broadband, corporations and tin hat wearers.

Same goes for additional software. You don't need preloaded copies of Office and other bloatware. If someone wants it they can purchase online, download and install. Just put some shortcuts in there to begin the buying process.

 

[olaf]

I don't finde anything out of norms with it , its an i based CPU in a thin touchscreened laptop. It has 3h+ battery , within norms for a laptop, 83GB free space on a 128gb SSD , within norms for windows 7/windows 8 install , you can remove some bloatware but i don't think there's a lot on it. It costs as much as an Ultrabook , no surprise there. Whiners are going to whine.

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]PMentior[/nom]But you still have a choice. The Windows 8 restore utility lets you move the restore partition to a usb drive and then delete it. That frees up 8GB or so i believe. The only other preinstalled microsoft software that I have heard mentioned is Office 2013. If you don't want it you can remove it and there is another couple of gigs. That leaves about 25GB of used space which is about right for a Full desktop Windows install. Here is the math I used: 118GB (disk space after formating)- 8GB for Recovery partition- 2GB estimate for Office 2013 preinstall- 25GB Windows Install- 83GB free spaceRemember that this isn't some tablet OS with limited functionality. You get a full desktop OS that can do anything a regular laptop with similar specs can do.[/citation]

why does it take up 25gb?
why

if its drivers and compatibility... than thats bs on a tablet because a laptop you have some amount of upgrade ability, a tablet most people cant even take it apart... even ones that could take a tablet apart may and probably cant take a tablet apart... so why load up compatibility things like that on a device that will never see them...

hell you could just have the drivers as a download in case you ever do get something that needs it, and honestly, if you dont get a tablet without some form of wireless internet.

that said, the space isnt to much of an issue seeing as you can put in flash cards for more space.

 

[keremidko]

Can someone please explain to me how is this better than most 13" Ultrabooks out there?

 

[robochump]

Well thats some kinda respect for Apple. MS is basically using Apple's business model and then slams their products....lol. The plus side is that MS did not simply make another Android product but made their own. Of course this had to be done or else it would have looked bad for MS, being a major software company after all...heh.

When I went to the local MS store even its employees said the battery life would be bad for the RT Pro and my problem with RT is that the screen does not work well as a tablet. Perhaps because I am used to the iPad dimensions but even then the RT's screen appears small because of its widescreen setup.